Reserve-supply device for automobile fuel tanks



w. H. MUZZY. RESERVE SUPPLY DEVICE FURY/AUTOMOBILE FUEL TANKS.

7 APPLICATION FILED [3504,1912]. 1,407,798, Patented Feb. 28, 1922.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. MUZZY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 28, 1922.

Application filed December 8, 1919. Serial No. 842,077.

vpend the operation of the automobile when the main supply is exhausted and permit the machine to resume its operation upon certain devices being adjusted to bring the reserve su ply under the action of the fuel feeding evlces.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide a device of the character above stated which will be simple in construction and free of all fine working points or joints which might leak gasoline or air pressure and which are very expensive in construction and quick wearing at points where wearing is fatal.

The invention consists of certain novel constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts all of which will be hereinafter more particularly set forth and claimed. o

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification; Figure 1 represents a detail vertical section, partly in elevation, of the devices embodying my invention, applied to the main. gasoline tank which is usually suspended at the rear of the machine, the tank being broken away.

Figure 2 represents a top plan view of the same, the reverse position of the adjusting lever being shown in dotted lines.

Described in general terms the invention may be said to comprise a pipe extending down vertically into a gasoline tank to'neari its bottom and connected to the main feed pipe for the engine. At a suitable distance from the bottom of this pipe an aperture is formed in it of ancient area to prevent any further feed of gasoline through the pipe when the level in the tank falls belowthis opening, as the air entering through the opening will destroy the suction 1n the pipe. e engine which is fed by the'suputomobile Fuel Tanks, of which I ply pipe will then stop and the operator will go to the tank wherever it may be located and move a valve to cover the opening in the pipe which will cause the pipe to become actively connected with the remainder of the contents of the tank.

In the aforesaid drawings 1 represents the main gasoline tank, 2 the main feed pipe to the engine which is permanently attached to a casting or plate 4. This plate is seeured by rivets or otherwise in an opening in the top of the tank 1 and is provided with a pendent tube 33 which extends down into the tank to within about 1}; inch of the bottom. This tube 33 forms a continuationof the pipe 2 and is formed near its lower end with an aperture or opening 6 opening into a passage 34 formed in a block 7 which is soldered or otherwise secured to the tube 33. This block is formed with a valve seat upon which a valve 10 is seated as shown in the drawings. The valve is mounted u on a stem 11 and is provided with a gui mg pin 8 working in an aperture 9 formed in the block 7 The upper end of the stem 11 is screw threaded and passes through the plate 4 and is provided with an operating handle 3. When this handle is turned to the dotted position shown in Figure 2 and marked Oil the stem 11 will be raised because of the threads 5 and will thus lift the valve 10 off of its seat sufficiently to allow enough air to enter the pi e 33 to destroy the suction and thus stop t e feed of the fuel. The operator will' be informed of the fact that the main supply of his tank has been exhausted by the engine stopping which will take place. when the fuel in the tank recedes to a level below the valvelO and thus allows air to pass in at this point'instead, of gasoline. The feed will sometimes continue because of an unusual suction until the gasoline level is somewhat below the opening or seat of the valve but will soon'stop.

When the engine stops the operator turns the handle 3 to the position marked Res (reserve) and b so doing the stem -11 is forced down an the valve' 10 seated which in effect closes the opening 6 and establishes conimunication with the reserve supply of fue r .W hen the tank is refilled the handle is again turned back to the off position and the device is ready to repeat the operation.

ling It will be understood that the device as above described can be employed and used practically without the interlocking and protective devices hereinafter described but 1n many cases I desire to include the latter.

These protective devices are for compelthe return of the handle 3 to the il position when a tank is refilled after the reserve has been brought into use.

As shown in Figure 1 the filler cap 18 is locked against removal when the lever 3 is in the res position by a bolt 15 mounted in an aperture 17 of a rigid sleeve 19 fast in the top of the tank. This bolt projects into an aperture 16 formed in the flange .20 of the filler cap. The bolt 15 is connected by an eccentric strap 14' which is detachably divided at 13, to an eccentric 12 mounted on the stem 11. When the lever or handle. 3 is moved to the ofi position the eccentric causes the bolt 15 to-be slightly withdrawn and thus frees the cap 18. do not care to limit myself to the eccentric and bolt as any other form of interlocking device may be employed without departing from the spirit of my invention.

It may be here noted that it is not necessary for the valve 10 to have a perfect seat nor isit necessary for the valve to be forced against its seat. Merely resting on its seat lightly is suflicient as the presence of the gasoline at about this level seals the valve and corrects any slight inaccuracy in its seating. This is due to the fact that the area of the valve opening is such in relation to the maximum suction through the pipe 33, that it must be practically fully open to prevent the continuation of the feed throu h the pipe 33. From this it will be seen t at such a thing as a leaky valve, or dirt under the valve, or an improperly seating'valve will have no effect upon the practical operation of the devices. In fact a screw, which might be loosely dro pediuto the valve assage would be su cient to cause the eed of gasoline through the reserve devices.

'In this feature lies one of the greatest improvements in the present devices as it eliminates all fine working points and ground valves and cooks and does away with any danger'of leaks such as devices at present in use are all liable to.

It will be understood that while I have described my invention as applied to gasoline= systems in which the gasoline is fed through the pipe 2 to the engine by atmospheric pressure and known as the vacuum system" that the invention is not limited to any such system but may be employed without any alterationwhatever to a system employm air pressure in the main tank 1 to elevate t e gasoline through the pipe 2 to the engine.

It will also be understood that while I have shown the block 7 for causing the valve 10 to close the opening 6 that any other equivalent means for closin this opening may be employed without epa'rting from the spirit of this invention.

It will be further understood that by locatin the air vent 6 in the gasoline tank and su merging the same with the main supply of gasoline that the fuel is fed through the opening 6 as well as throu h the open end of the pipe 33 and that this feed does not stop until the level of the gasoline descends below the level of the opening 6 when air entering the pipe 33 through this opening 6 causes an atmospheric pressure to be exerted on the gasoline in the 'ipe, or in other words destroys the suction at this point. This action is of course with..-the valve 10 open. This pressure which is exerted through the opening 6 equals the atmospheric pressure in the tank 1 when the valve 10 is fully opened but should the valvelO be only part1 opened the pressure in the tank will be slig tly greater than that through the opening 6 with the result that the gasoline in the pipe 33 will be elevated the slight distance necessary to take it past the opening 6 when it will receive the full atmospheric pressure from below to force it up through the pipe 33 and thus draw the gasoline out of the tank to a lower level than when the valve is fully opened. By adjusting the valve to different positions the gasoline maybe depleted to any desired level before the flow stops and the remainder then drawn off by further closing or full closing the valve. By this means the evice may be employed in tanks of different depths by cutting off the pi 33 and adjusting the valve 10 to give til: proper reserve supply. This peculiar action of une ual atmospheric-pressure in the tank and t rough the opening 6 is taken advantage of and enables a construction and operation of the valve 10 or its equivalent, that is practically trouble proof because of the fact that it is not necessary for the valve to have a perfect seat or to be fully closed for the device to operate. Any dirt under the valve, any wear of'the valve, any misalignment between the valve and its seat, any corrosion of the valve or its seat under the action of gasoline or benzol have no effect upon the perfect o eration of the device as the location 0 the opening 6 so near the top of the reserve supply of gasoline will always cause sulficient difierence between the atmospheric pressure in the tank 1 and through the openmg 6 even if the valve is held partly open by dirt or other causes, to force the gasoline up past the opening 6 when it will be can ht by the 111 suction of the vacuum tan and drawn up mto the tank. This is a very desirable feature of the invention a ill under such conditions could not raise the;

gasoline to the vacuum tank if there were a leaky or partly open valve supplying air to break the vacuum.at an air port, which latter was not automatically sealed by the slightest remaining vacuum causing the gasoline to ass by such port and becomesubject to t e full suction or atmospheric pressure behind it. Below the vent a suction suilicient to raise gasoline two or three inches would be enough to cause a perfect operation of the devices even though the valve were held partly open by dirt or corrosion or from any other cause. This isalso of great advantage from a manufacturing standpoint as the valve and connections may be roughly made and does not have to be lapped in or fitted in any way.

- Simply lying flat on the rough surface of the block 7 would cause a perfect operation.

It will be further understood that the valve when closed is additionally sealed by the constant splash of the gasoline which is so near to it and which forms a reserve supply.

ll clain'al. The combination with a fuel tank, of an unbroken supply pipe projecting down into the fuel in the tank and having an air aperture at a certain distance above its open end, and means mounted eiiteriorly of the pipe for opening and closing the air aperture to cause the pipe to draw the main supply or the reserve supply of fuel.

2. The combination with a fuel tank, of an unbroken supply pipe projecting down into the fuelin the tank and having an air aperture at a certain distance from its open end, a valve for opening and closing the air aperture, and means mounted exteriorly of the pipe for operating the valve from the exterior of the tank.

3. The combination with a fuel tank, of an unbroken supply pipe projecting into the fuel in the tank and having an air aperture at a certain distance from its open end, a

valve exterior of the pipe for opening and closing the aperture, and meanslnounted exterior] of the pipe for opening and closing the va V0 and leaving the pipe unbroken except for the air aperture.

a The combination with a fuel tank, of an unbroken supply pipe projecting down into the gasoline in the same and having an air aperture at a certain distance from its open end, a valve mounted exteriorly of the pipe for closing this air aperture at will, a stem carrying the valve also exteriorly mounted leaving the pipe unbroken except for the air aperture, and means for rotating the stem to operate the valve from the exterior of the tank.

5. The combination-with a fuel tank, of an unbroken supply pipe projecting down into the gasoline in the same and having an air apertureat a certain distance from its open end, means mounted exteriorly of the pipe for closing this air aperture at will, a rod for operating said means also exteriorly mounted leaving the pipe unbroken and extending tothe exterior of the tank, and a handle for operating the rod.

6. The combination with a fuel tank, of an unbroken supply pipe projecting down into the gasoline in the same and havin an air aperture at a certain distance from its open end, a valve mounted exteriorly of the pipe for closing the air aperture at will, a stem for operating the valve also exteriorly mounted leaving the pipe unbroken except for the air aperture, a handle for operating the stem from the exterior of the tank, and an index plate mounted adjacent the handle.

7. The combination with a fuel tank, of an unbroken supply pipe projecting into the gasoline in the same and apertured at a certain distance from its open end, a valve mounted exteriorlyof the pipe for closing this aperture at will, a stem carrying the valve also e-xteriorly mounted leaving the pipe unbroken except for the aperture, and screw threaded to give it vertical movement, and means for rotating the stem at will.

8. The combination with a fuel tank, of an unbroken supply pipe projecting down into the same and having its lower end open and an aperture in it at a certain distance from its lower end, and means for opening and closing this aperture mounted and controlled exteriorly of the pipe, leaving the wall ofthe pipe unbroken except for the aperture above mentioned.

9. The combination with a fuel tank, of

an unbroken supply pipe projecting down into the same and having its lower end open and an aperture in it ata certain distance" from its open end, a valve and connections.

for openin and closing the aperture mounted exterior y of the pipe, and means for operating the valve from the exterior of the tank and leaving the vsll'of the pipe un-' broken except for the aperture above menf tioned.

10. The combination with a fuel tank, of

an unbroken suction fuel; pipe projecting down into the same and open at its end,

means for introducing air into this pipe at a point in the tank a proximately that of the reserve level, and evices located exteriorly of the pipe for controlling the air introduc ing means from the exterior of the tank and. leaving the walls of thepipe unbroken except i at the air introducing point above mentioned. 4

11. The combination with a fuel tank, of an unbroken feed pipe extending into the tank and having a. gap at the reserve fuel level, and means for closing the gap from the exterior of the pipe, and devices free of actuating said means from the exterior of the walls of the pipe for actuating said the pipe and from the exterior of the tank. 10

means. In testimony whereof I aflix my signature 12. The combination with .a fuel tank, of in the presence of two'witnesses.

a feed pipe having unbroken non-leaking WILLIAM H. MUZZY.

walls and a gap at the reserve fuel level, Witneses:

means for closing the gap, movable devices M. PENTEGOST,

supported free of the walls of the pipe for M. ANDERSON. 

